Multi-Chip Structure and Method of Forming Same

ABSTRACT

A device includes a first chip is embedded in a molding compound layer, wherein the first chip is shifted toward a first direction, a second chip over the first chip and embedded in the molding compound layer, wherein the second chip is shifted toward a second direction opposite to the first direction and a plurality of bumps between the first chip and the second chip.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/048,013, filed on Jul. 27, 2018, entitled “Multi-Chip Structure andMethod of Forming Same”, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/594,756, filed on May 15, 2017, now U.S. Pat.No. 10,037,892, issued on Jul. 31, 2018, entitled “Multi-Chip Structureand Method of Forming Same”, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/085,837, filed on Mar. 30, 2016, entitled“Multi-Chip Structure and Method of Forming Same”, now U.S. Pat. No.9,653,433, issued on May 16, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/177,947, filed on Feb. 11, 2014, entitled“Multi-Chip Structure and Method of Forming Same”, now U.S. Pat. No.9,324,698, issued on Apr. 26, 2016, and claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/865,411 filed on Aug. 13, 2013, entitled“Multi-Chip Structure and Method of Forming Same” which applications areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due toimprovements in the integration density of a variety of electroniccomponents (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). Forthe most part, this improvement in integration density has come fromshrinking the semiconductor process node (e.g., shrink the process nodetowards the sub-20 nm node). As the demand for miniaturization, higherspeed and greater bandwidth, as well as lower power consumption andlatency has grown recently, there has grown a need for smaller and morecreative packaging techniques of semiconductor dies.

As semiconductor technologies evolve, wafer level package basedsemiconductor devices have emerged as an effective alternative tofurther reduce the physical size of a semiconductor chip. There may betwo signal routing mechanisms in a wafer level package basedsemiconductor device, namely a fan-in signal routing mechanism and afan-out signal routing mechanism. In a semiconductor device having afan-in signal routing mechanism, input and output pads of each die arelimited to an area within the footprint of the semiconductor die. Withthe limited area of the die, the number of the input and output pads islimited due to the limitation of the pitch of the input and output pads.

In a semiconductor device having a fan-out signal routing mechanism, theinput and output pads of a die can be redistributed to an area outsidethe area of the die. As such, the input and output pads can spreadsignals to a larger area than the area of the die and provide additionalspace for interconnects. As a result, the number of input and outputpads of the semiconductor device can be increased.

In a fan-out structure, the signal redistribution can be implemented byusing a redistribution layer. The redistribution layer may couple aninput and output pad within the area of the die and another input andoutput pad outside the area of the die so that signals from thesemiconductor die can be spread outside the footprint of thesemiconductor die.

A molding compound layer may be formed over the semiconductor die. Themolding compound layer may be formed of epoxy based resins and the like.A portion of the molding compound layer located from the edge of the dieto the edge of the semiconductor device is commonly referred to as afan-out area of the semiconductor device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, and theadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptionstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of a multi-chip semiconductordevice in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2-9 illustrate intermediate steps of fabricating the multi-chipsemiconductor device shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of a semiconductor deviceafter the first chip is mounted on a carrier in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 2 after the second chip is mounted on the first chip inaccordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 3 after an encapsulation layer is formed over the carrierin accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 4 after a grinding process is applied to the top surfaceof the encapsulation layer in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 5 after a redistribution layer is formed on top of theencapsulation layer in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 6 after a dielectric layer is formed on top of theencapsulation layer in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 7 after a plurality of UBM structures and interconnectionbumps are formed in accordance with various embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates a process of removing the carrier from thesemiconductor device in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure; and

FIGS. 10-20 illustrate other illustrative embodiments of the multi-chipsemiconductor device in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

Corresponding numerals and symbols in the different figures generallyrefer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The figures aredrawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the variousembodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The making and using of the presently embodiments are discussed indetail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the presentdisclosure provides many applicable inventive concepts that can beembodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to makeand use the disclosure, and do not limit the scope of the disclosure.

The present disclosure will be described with respect to embodiments ina specific context, namely a multi-chip semiconductor device with afan-out structure. The embodiments of the disclosure may also beapplied, however, to a variety of semiconductor devices and packages.Hereinafter, various embodiments will be explained in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of a multi-chip semiconductordevice in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.The multi-chip semiconductor device 100 may include a first chip 102 anda second chip 104. In particular, the first chip 102 is stacked on topof the second chip 104. As shown in FIG. 1, the first chip 102 and thesecond chip 104 are bonded together through a joint structure formed byconductive bumps 111. The joint structure may be generated by a reflowprocess.

The first chip 102 may include a plurality of semiconductor dies stackedtogether. As shown in FIG. 1, the first chip 102 is formed by stackedsemiconductor dies 110, 120, 130 and 140. There may be a plurality ofthrough vias in each stacked semiconductor die (e.g., through vias 122in the die 120, through vias 132 in the die 130 and through vias 142 inthe die 140). The through vias 122, 132 and 132 are filled withconductive materials such as copper and the like. The through vias andconductive bumps placed between two adjacent stacked dies form a varietyof conductive channels through which electronic circuits in the stackedsemiconductor dies may be coupled to each other.

The stacked semiconductor dies of the first chip 102 may comprise memorydies, logic dies, processor dies and/or the like. It should be notedwhile FIG. 1 illustrates four stacked semiconductor dies in the firstchip 102, this is merely an example. Likewise, the location of thethrough vias shown in FIG. 1 and the number of through vias in eachstacked semiconductor die are merely illustrative and otherconfigurations for electrically connecting the stacked dies are withinthe contemplated scope of the present disclosure.

In accordance with an embodiment, the second chip 104 may comprise aplurality of logic circuits such as central processing unit (CPU),graphics processing unit (GPU) and the like. Alternatively, the secondchip 104 may comprise a plurality of memory circuits such as staticrandom access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM) andthe like. Furthermore, the second chip 104 may comprise integratedcircuits for other suitable application such as radio frequencyapplications, image sensors, any combination thereof and/or the like. Itshould be noted that the second chip 104 may have many embodiments,which are also in the scope of the present disclosure.

In order to give a basic insight of the inventive aspects of variousembodiments, the second chip 104 is drawn without details. However, itshould be noted that the second chip 104 may comprise basicsemiconductor layers such as active circuit layers, substrate layers,inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layers, inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layers(not shown respectively) and/or the like.

The second chip 104 may comprise a substrate. The substrate may be asilicon substrate. Alternatively, the substrate may be asilicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The SOI substrate may comprise alayer of a semiconductor material (e.g., silicon, germanium and/or thelike) formed over an insulator layer (e.g., buried oxide or the like),which is formed in a silicon substrate. In addition, other substratesthat may be used include multi-layered substrates, gradient substrates,hybrid orientation substrates and/or the like.

The substrate may further comprise a variety of electrical circuits (notshown). The electrical circuits formed on the substrate may be any typeof circuitry suitable for a variety of applications such as logiccircuits. In some embodiments, the electrical circuits may includevarious n-type metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS) and/or p-typemetal-oxide semiconductor (PMOS) devices such as transistors,capacitors, resistors, diodes, photo-diodes, fuses and the like. Theelectrical circuits may be interconnected to perform one or morefunctions. The functions may include memory structures, processingstructures, sensors, amplifiers, power distribution, input/outputcircuitry or the like.

One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the above examplesare provided for illustrative purposes only to further explainapplications of the present disclosure and are not meant to limit thepresent disclosure in any manner.

The second chip 104 may further comprise a plurality of through vias106. In some embodiments, the through vias 106 are through-substratevias (TSVs) or through-silicon vias (TSVs). The through vias 106 may befilled with a conductive material such as copper, tungsten and/or thelike. The active circuit layers (not shown) of the second chip 104 maybe coupled to the active circuits of the first chip 102 and externalcircuits (not shown) through the through vias 106.

As shown in FIG. 1, both the first chip 102 and the second chip 104 areembedded in an encapsulation layer 101. In some embodiments, at leastone edge of the first chip 102 (e.g., the left edge of the first chip102) is not vertically aligned with a corresponding edge of the secondchip 104 (e.g., the left edge of the second chip 104).

FIG. 1 further illustrates that a top surface of the first chip 102 isexposed outside the encapsulation layer 101. In accordance with someembodiments, the encapsulation layer 101 may be a molding compound layerformed of suitable underfill materials. Throughout the description, theencapsulation layer 101 may be alternatively referred to as a moldingcompound layer 101.

The molding compound layer 101 may fill the gaps between the first chip102 and the second chip 104. The regions beyond the edges of the secondchip 104 are commonly referred to as fan-out regions. As shown in FIG.1, there may be two fan-out regions. A first fan-out region is themolding compound region beyond the left edge of the second chip 104.Likewise, the second fan-out region is the molding compound regionbeyond the right edge of the second chip 104.

In some embodiments, the molding compound layer 101 may be formed ofsuitable materials such as an epoxy. The epoxy may be applied in aliquid form, and may harden after a curing process. In alternativeembodiments, the molding compound layer 101 may be formed of curablematerials such as polymer based materials, resin based materials,polyimide, epoxy and any combinations of thereof. The molding compoundlayer 101 can be formed by any suitable dispense techniques.

It should further be noted that the fan-out regions shown in FIG. 1 ismerely an example. By shifting the first chip 102 and/or the second chip104, the multi-chip semiconductor device 100 may be of different fan-outregions. The detailed structures of such fan-out regions will bedescribed below with respect to FIGS. 13-20.

The multi-chip semiconductor device 100 may further comprise a fan-outstructure 105. As shown in FIG. 1, the fan-out structure 105 includes aredistribution layer 107 formed over the molding compound layer 101, adielectric layer 112 formed over the redistribution layer 107 and aplurality of bumps 109.

Throughout the description, the side of the fan-out structure 105 havingthe redistribution layer 107 is alternatively referred to as the firstside of the fan-out structure 105. On the other hand, the side of thefan-out structure 105 not having the redistribution layer 107 isreferred to as the second side of the fan-out structure 105.

As shown in FIG. 1, the redistribution layer 107 is formed on a frontside of the second chip 104. In particular, the redistribution layer 107extends beyond the edges of the second chip 104 on the top surface ofthe encapsulation layer 101. The redistribution layer 107 provides aconductive path between TSVs (e.g., through vias 106) and the bumpssubsequently formed over the second side of the fan-out structure 105.The active circuit layer (not shown) of the second chip 104 may bebridged by the redistribution layer so that the active circuit layer ofthe semiconductor dies (e.g., the second chip 104) can be electricallycoupled to external circuits. The redistribution layer 107 may be formedof metal materials such as aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper or copperalloys and the like.

The dielectric layer 112 is formed over the redistribution layer 107. Insome embodiments, the dielectric layer 112 is formed of aphoto-sensitive material such as polybenzoxazole (PBO), polyimide,benzocyclobutene (BCB), any combinations thereof and/or the like, whichmay be easily patterned using a lithography mask. In alternativeembodiments, the dielectric layer 112 may be formed of a nitride such assilicon nitride, an oxide such as silicon oxide, phosphosilicate glass(PSG), borosilicate glass (BSG), boron-doped phosphosilicate glass(BPSG), any combinations thereof and/or the like.

The dielectric layer 112 may be formed by suitable fabricationtechniques such as such as spinning, chemical vapor deposition (CVD),and plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) and/or the like. It should also be notedthat one skilled in the art will recognize that the dielectric layer 112may further comprise a plurality of dielectric layers.

The bumps 109 are formed on the second side of the fan-out structure105. There may be a plurality of under bump metallization (UBM)structures 108 formed underneath the bumps 109. The detailed formationprocesses of the bumps 109 and the UBM structures 108 will be describedbelow with respect to FIG. 8.

One advantageous feature of the multi-chip semiconductor device 100shown in FIG. 1 is that the fan-out structure 105 helps the multi-chipsemiconductor device 100 achieve better thermal performance, lowshrinkage and warpage, smaller form factor and cost saving on using areduced number of bumps.

FIGS. 2-9 illustrate intermediate steps of fabricating the multi-chipsemiconductor device shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that thefabrication steps as well as the multi-chip semiconductor device shownin FIGS. 2-9 are merely an example. A person skilled in the art willrecognize there may be many alternatives, variations and modifications.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of a semiconductor deviceafter the first chip is mounted on a carrier in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. A carrier 202 may be employed toprevent the semiconductor device from cracking, warping, breaking andthe like. In addition, the carrier 202 may help to form a fan-outstructure through a molding compound layer formed over the carrier 202.

An auxiliary layer 204 is formed on top of the carrier 202. In someembodiments, the auxiliary layer 204 may include a release layer and anadhesive layer (not shown respectively). The release layer may be formedof suitable materials such as polymer and/or the like. The release layermay be UV-curable. In some embodiments, the release layer may bespin-coated on the carrier 202.

The adhesive layer may be spin-coated on the release layer. The adhesivelayer may be formed of suitable materials such as polymer and/or thelike. In alternative embodiments, the adhesive layer may be suitabletapes such as die attach film (DAF), non-conductive film (NCF) and/orthe like. The adhesive layer may be removed by using chemical solvent,chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and/or the like.

The first chip 102 may be mounted on the carrier through apick-and-place process. In particular, the first chip 102 is picked andplaced on top of the carrier 202. The first chip 102 is bonded on thecarrier 202 through the adhesive layer. It should be noted that whileFIG. 2 illustrates the first chip 102 may comprise four semiconductordies, the first chip 102 may accommodate any number of semiconductordies.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 2 after the second chip is mounted on the first chip inaccordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Thesecond chip 104 may be bonded on the first chip 102 through a reflowprocess. The reflow process is employed to form a joint structurebetween the first chip 102 and the second chip 104.

It should be noted while FIG. 3 illustrates one semiconductor die (e.g.,second chip 104) stacked on top of the first chip 102, this is merely anexample. One skilled in the art will recognize that there may be manyvariations, alternatives and modifications. For example, additional diesmay be stacked on top of the second chip 104.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 3 after an encapsulation layer is formed over the carrierin accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure. Theencapsulation layer 101 is formed over the carrier 202 as shown in FIG.4. As a result, the top surfaces of first chip 102 and second chip 104are covered by the encapsulation layer 101.

In accordance with some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 101 may bea molding compound layer formed of suitable underfill materials. In someembodiments, the underfill material layer may be formed of an epoxy. Theepoxy may be applied in a liquid form, and may harden after a curingprocess. In alternative embodiments, the underfill material layer may beformed of curable materials such as polymer based materials, resin basedmaterials, polyimide, epoxy and any combinations of thereof. Theencapsulation layer 101 can be formed by any suitable dispensetechniques.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 4 after a grinding process is applied to the top surfaceof the encapsulation layer in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure. The top surface of the encapsulation layer 101undergoes a grinding process. The grinding process can employ amechanical grinding process, a chemical polishing process, an etchingprocess, any combinations thereof and/or the like.

As shown in FIG. 5, the grinding process is applied to the top surfaceof the encapsulation layer 101 until the top surface of the second chip104 becomes exposed. In some embodiments, the top surface of theinterconnect structure of the second chip 104 may be substantiallyplanar with the top surface of the encapsulation layer 101. Thus, theinterconnect structure may be exposed outside the encapsulation layer101 so that electrical contacts such as redistribution layers, bumpsand/or the like may be formed on the interconnect structure of thesecond chip 104.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 5 after a redistribution layer is formed on top of theencapsulation layer in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In some embodiments, the redistribution layer 107may extend beyond the edges of the second chip 104. Accordingly, theresulting structure is a fan-out structure.

In some embodiments, the redistribution layer 107 may be formed bydepositing a metal layer and subsequently patterning the metal layer. Inalternative embodiments, the redistribution layer 107 may be formedusing damascene processes. Furthermore, the redistribution layer 107 maybe formed using, for example, a deposition method such as Physical VaporDeposition (PVD). The redistribution layer 107 may comprise aluminum,copper, tungsten, and/or alloys thereof.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 6 after a dielectric layer is formed on top of theencapsulation layer in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In some embodiments, the dielectric layer 112 isformed of a photo-sensitive material such as PBO, polyimide, BCB, anycombinations thereof and/or the like.

In alternative embodiments, the dielectric layer 112 may be made of oneor more suitable dielectric materials such as silicon oxide, siliconnitride, low-k dielectrics such as carbon doped oxides, extremely low-kdielectrics such as porous carbon doped silicon dioxide, a polymerand/or the like. The dielectric layer 112 may be formed through aprocess such as CVD, although any suitable process may be utilized.

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross sectional view of the semiconductor deviceshown in FIG. 7 after a plurality of UBM structures and interconnectionbumps are formed in accordance with various embodiments of the presentdisclosure. The plurality of UBM structures 108 are formed in thedielectric layer 112 and over the redistribution layer 107. The UBMstructures 108 help to prevent diffusion between the solder balls andthe integrated circuits of the semiconductor device, while providing alow resistance electrical connection.

The bumps 109 are input/output (I/O) pads or interconnection bumps ofthe semiconductor device. In some embodiments, the bumps 109 may beformed of copper. In accordance with another embodiment, the bumps 109may be a plurality of solder balls 109. In some embodiments, the solderballs 109 may comprise SAC405. SAC405 comprises 95.5% Sn, 4.0% Ag and0.5% Cu. Alternatively, the bumps 109 may be a plurality of land gridarray (LGA) pads.

FIG. 9 illustrates a process of removing the carrier from thesemiconductor device in accordance with various embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In accordance with an embodiment, the carrier 202can be detached from the multi-chip semiconductor device 100. A varietyof detaching processes may be employed to separate the multi-chipsemiconductor device 100 from the carrier 202. The variety of detachingprocesses may comprise a chemical solvent, a UV exposure, a laserablation process and/or the like.

FIG. 10 illustrates a cross sectional view of another multi-chipsemiconductor device with a fan-out structure in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-chip semiconductordevice 1000 is similar to the multi-chip semiconductor device 100 shownin FIG. 1 except that the length of the first chip 102 is the same asthe length of the fan-out structure 105. As such, the encapsulationlayer 101 is located between the first chip 102 and the fan-outstructure 105. The fabrication process of the multi-chip semiconductordevice 1000 is similar to that of multi-chip semiconductor device 100,and hence is not discussed herein to avoid repetition.

FIG. 11 illustrates a cross sectional view of another multi-chipsemiconductor device with a fan-out structure in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-chip semiconductordevice 1100 is similar to the multi-chip semiconductor device 100 shownin FIG. 1 except that the length of the second chip 104 is the same asthe length of the fan-out structure 105. The fabrication process of themulti-chip semiconductor device 1100 is similar to that of multi-chipsemiconductor device 100, and hence is not discussed herein to avoidrepetition.

FIG. 12 illustrates a cross sectional view of another multi-chipsemiconductor device with a fan-out structure in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-chip semiconductordevice 1200 is similar to the multi-chip semiconductor device 100 shownin FIG. 1 except that the length of the second chip 104 is greater thanthe length of the first chip 102. The fabrication process of themulti-chip semiconductor device 1200 is similar to that of multi-chipsemiconductor device 100, and hence is not discussed herein to avoidrepetition.

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross sectional view of another multi-chipsemiconductor device with a fan-out structure in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-chip semiconductordevice 1300 is similar to the multi-chip semiconductor device 100 shownin FIG. 1 except that there may be a shift between the first chip 102and the second chip 104. In particular, the centerline of the first chip102 is not aligned with the centerline of the second chip 104.

As shown in FIG. 13, in comparison with the multi-chip semiconductordevice 100 shown in FIG. 1, the first chip 102 is shifted to the rightedge of the fan-out structure 105. As a result, there may be one fan-outregion, which is the molding compound region located between the fan-outstructure 105 and the first chip 102.

As shown in FIG. 13, the right edge of the first chip 102 is alignedwith the right edge of the fan-out structure 105. Likewise, the secondchip 104 is shifted to the left edge of the fan-out structure 105. Theleft edge of the second chip 104 is aligned with the left edge of thefan-out structure 105. The fabrication process of the multi-chipsemiconductor device 1300 is similar to that of multi-chip semiconductordevice 100, and hence is not discussed herein to avoid repetition.

FIG. 14 illustrates a cross sectional view of another multi-chipsemiconductor device with a fan-out structure in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-chip semiconductordevice 1400 is similar to the multi-chip semiconductor device 1300 shownin FIG. 13 except that both the first chip 102 and the second chip 104are not shifted to the edges of the fan-out structure 105. Thefabrication process of the multi-chip semiconductor device 1300 issimilar to that of multi-chip semiconductor device 100, and hence is notdiscussed herein to avoid repetition.

FIG. 15 illustrates a cross sectional view of another multi-chipsemiconductor device with a fan-out structure in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-chip semiconductordevice 1500 is similar to the multi-chip semiconductor device 1300 shownin FIG. 13 except that the second chip 104 is not shifted to the edge ofthe fan-out structure 105. The fabrication process of the multi-chipsemiconductor device 1300 is similar to that of multi-chip semiconductordevice 100, and hence is not discussed herein to avoid repetition.

FIG. 16 illustrates a cross sectional view of another multi-chipsemiconductor device with a fan-out structure in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-chip semiconductordevice 1600 is similar to the multi-chip semiconductor device 1300 shownin FIG. 13 except that the first chip 102 is not shifted to the edge ofthe fan-out structure 105. The fabrication process of the multi-chipsemiconductor device 1300 is similar to that of multi-chip semiconductordevice 100, and hence is not discussed herein to avoid repetition.

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross sectional view of another multi-chipsemiconductor device with a fan-out structure in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. The multi-chip semiconductordevice 1700 is similar to the multi-chip semiconductor device 1300 shownin FIG. 13 except that there may be one through via connection betweenthe first chip 102 and the second chip 104.

The shift between the first chip 102 and the second chip 104 may includea variety of variations. An overlap between the first chip 102 and thesecond chip 104 is required so that at least one through via of thefirst chip 102 is connected to a corresponding through via of the secondchip 104 through a conductive bump. The fabrication process of themulti-chip semiconductor device 1700 is similar to that of multi-chipsemiconductor device 100, and hence is not discussed herein to avoidrepetition. The embodiments shown in FIGS. 18-20 are similar to theembodiments in FIGS. 14-16 respectively except that there may be oneconnection path between the first chip 102 and the second chip 104.

In accordance with an embodiment, a device comprises a first chip isembedded in a molding compound layer, wherein the first chip is shiftedtoward a first direction, a second chip over the first chip and embeddedin the molding compound layer, wherein the second chip is shifted towarda second direction opposite to the first direction and a plurality ofbumps between the first chip and the second chip.

In accordance with an embodiment, a device comprises a first chip isembedded in a molding compound layer, a second chip over the first chipand embedded in the molding compound layer, wherein at least a portionof the second chip extends over an outermost edge of the first chip, andat least a portion of the first chip extends over an outermost edge ofthe second chip and a plurality of bumps between the first chip and thesecond chip.

In accordance with an embodiment, a method comprises attaching a firstchip on a carrier, mounting a second chip on the first chip, forming amolding compound layer over the carrier, wherein the first chip and thesecond chip are embedded in the molding compound layer, and wherein anoutermost edge of the first chip and an outermost edge of the secondchip are exposed outside the molding compound layer, grinding themolding compound layer until a surface of the second chip is exposed andforming a plurality of conductive bumps over the second chip.

In accordance with an embodiment, a device includes a molding compoundlayer, a first chip embedded in the molding compound layer, and a secondchip over the first chip and embedded in the molding compound layer. Themolding compound layer has a first sidewall and a second sidewallopposite to the first sidewall. A first sidewall of the first chip iscoplanar with the first sidewall of the molding compound layer. A secondsidewall of the first chip is spaced apart from the second sidewall ofthe molding compound layer. A first sidewall of the second chip iscoplanar with the second sidewall of the molding compound layer. Asecond sidewall of the second chip is spaced apart from the firstsidewall of the molding compound layer.

In accordance with an embodiment, a device includes a molding compoundlayer, a first chip embedded in the molding compound layer, and a secondchip over the first chip and embedded in the molding compound layer. Afirst sidewall of the first chip is in physical contact with the moldingcompound layer. A first sidewall of the second chip is in physicalcontact with the molding compound layer. A portion of the first chipextends beyond the first sidewall of the second chip. A portion of thesecond chip extends beyond the first sidewall of the first chip.

In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes attaching a firstchip to a carrier. A second chip is bonded to the first chip. The firstchip and the second chip are encapsulated in a molding compound layer.The molding compound layer is in physical contact with a first sidewallof the first chip and a first sidewall of the second chip. A portion ofthe first chip extends beyond the first sidewall of the second chip. Aportion of the second chip extends beyond the first sidewall of thefirst chip.

Although embodiments of the present disclosure and its advantages havebeen described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appendedclaims.

Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine,manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps describedin the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate from the present disclosure, processes, machines,manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presentlyexisting or later to be developed, that perform substantially the samefunction or achieve substantially the same result as the correspondingembodiments described herein may be utilized according to the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to includewithin their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositionsof matter, means, methods, or steps.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a molding compound layer,the molding compound layer having a first sidewall and a second sidewallopposite to the first sidewall; a first chip embedded in the moldingcompound layer, wherein a first sidewall of the first chip is coplanarwith the first sidewall of the molding compound layer, and wherein asecond sidewall of the first chip is spaced apart from the secondsidewall of the molding compound layer; and a second chip over the firstchip and embedded in the molding compound layer, wherein a firstsidewall of the second chip is coplanar with the second sidewall of themolding compound layer, and wherein a second sidewall of the second chipis spaced apart from the first sidewall of the molding compound layer.2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bumpselectrically coupling the first chip to the second chip.
 3. The deviceof claim 1, wherein a portion of the molding compound layer isinterposed between the first chip and the second chip.
 4. The device ofclaim 1, further comprising a redistribution structure over the moldingcompound layer, the first chip being interposed between theredistribution structure and the second chip, wherein a first sidewallof the redistribution structure is coplanar with the first sidewall ofthe molding compound layer, and wherein a second sidewall of theredistribution structure is coplanar with the second sidewall of themolding compound layer.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein a width of theredistribution structure is greater than a width of the first chip and awidth of the second chip.
 6. The device of claim 4, wherein the secondchip and the redistribution structure are separated by a portion of themolding compound layer.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first chipcomprises a plurality of logic circuits, and wherein the second chipcomprises a stack of memory dies.
 8. A device comprising: a moldingcompound layer; a first chip embedded in the molding compound layer, afirst sidewall of the first chip being in physical contact with themolding compound layer; and a second chip over the first chip andembedded in the molding compound layer, a first sidewall of the secondchip being in physical contact with the molding compound layer, whereina portion of the first chip extends beyond the first sidewall of thesecond chip, and wherein a portion of the second chip extends beyond thefirst sidewall of the first chip.
 9. The device of claim 8, furthercomprising a redistribution structure in electrical contact with thefirst chip, the first chip electrically coupling the redistributionstructure to the second chip.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein a widthof the redistribution structure is greater than a width of the firstchip and a width of the second chip.
 11. The device of claim 9, furthercomprising a plurality of bumps bonded to the redistribution structure,the redistribution structure being interposed between the plurality ofbumps and the first chip.
 12. The device of claim 9, wherein a firstsidewall of the redistribution structure is coplanar with a secondsidewall of the first chip, the second sidewall of the first chip beingopposite to the first sidewall of the first chip.
 13. The device ofclaim 12, wherein a second sidewall of the redistribution structure iscoplanar with a second sidewall of the second chip, the second sidewallof the second chip being opposite to the first sidewall of the secondchip.
 14. The device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of bumpsinterposed between the first chip and the second chip, wherein theplurality of bumps are encapsulated by the molding compound layer.
 15. Amethod comprising: attaching a first chip to a carrier; bonding a secondchip to the first chip; and encapsulating the first chip and the secondchip in a molding compound layer, the molding compound layer being inphysical contact with a first sidewall of the first chip and a firstsidewall of the second chip, wherein a portion of the first chip extendsbeyond the first sidewall of the second chip, and wherein a portion ofthe second chip extends beyond the first sidewall of the first chip. 16.The method of claim 15, forming a redistribution structure over thesecond chip and the molding compound layer.
 17. The method of claim 16,bonding a plurality of bumps to the redistribution structure, theredistribution structure electrically coupling the plurality of bumps tothe second chip.
 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising, beforeforming the redistribution structure, planarizing the molding compoundlayer to expose the second chip.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein afirst portion of the redistribution structure extends beyond the firstsidewall of the first chip.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein a secondportion of the redistribution structure extends beyond the firstsidewall of the second chip.